


92 Days

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-24
Updated: 2009-10-24
Packaged: 2019-05-30 17:16:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15101357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Donna enjoys thoughts of five days without Josh.  Wouldn't it be so much nicer if it was five days with him?





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This story began as a tiny bubble and exploded into a 40 page drama. It would be NOTHING without J.P. Thanks a million.  


* * *

There's a stack of seven pink notes with phone messages I need to return, and Ryan keeps paging me. However, for the first time in 92 days, I am sitting peacefully at my desk enjoying a raspberry scone at 8:10 a.m. Coincidentally, it's the first time in 92 days I haven't seen Josh.

That's not entirely true. There was one Saturday and two Sundays when we did not see each other. The Saturday was my annual Day of Beauty. Once a year, CJ and I go to a spa for a day of pedicures, manicures, and downright pampering. Josh does not take well to the Day of Beauty, but CJ ensures that he has no say in the matter. Afterwards, I have dinner and drinks with several girlfriends, and I go to sleep early knowing that I'll have to report to work at 7 a.m. the next day. The two Sundays that Josh and I did not have visual contact were both travel days. They were short, two-day trips, and I saw Josh the following evenings. Of course, we talked on the phone at least four times each of those days.

Although we've battled some rough times, especially this last year, Josh and I have gotten back into a rhythm. Part of that rhythm stems from our physical contact. When I don't see Josh, it's like not having my morning cup of coffee. I can't quite start my day.

So when Josh's mother insisted upon her son's presence for her 68th birthday, I knew I'd have to go at least three days without my morning coffee.

***  
"There's no way I can take five days off in the middle of the DiBattista confirmation!"

 

I ignored Josh's high pitched voice because it's just too easy a target. "It's your mother's 68th birthday, and she's requested your presence. When has she ever requested your presence?"

Josh took off his jacket and began rolling up his sleeves as he walked behind his desk. "She always requests my presence."

"Josh?" I dared him not to go further.

"She does! In fact, I don't think a week has gone by since we've been in office when she hasn't requested my presence."

I glared at him. "This is different, Josh. It's her 68th birthday, and she wants you to be there to celebrate with her."

"I'm not going. I don't have time," he said plopping, with a thud in his chair.

"You are going, and you will make time."

Josh studied me for a moment. He tapped both ends of a pencil rapidly on the desk and bit his lower lip. I didn't flinch. In fact, I held my chin a little higher and stared down at him.

I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. I pictured a light bulb over his head as soon as his eyes lit up and opened wide, indicating he figured it out.

"You bought a plane ticket, didn't you?"

Damn it. I was supposed to make him feel guilty, which isn't difficult. Then he'd ask me to book a ticket, and I could proudly respond, "I already did."

But that's not how it happened.

"Josh, before you get mad…"

"DONNA!" Josh stood and walked in front of me.

"You need to go see your mom," I stated as I backed behind the visitor's chair. "She's been begging you to visit for years, and you have yet to see her new house. You should cherish the relationship you have with your mother. Celebrate her birthday, Josh."

His face lost some of its anger. "It's not that easy, Donna. I can't just pick up and go. I have major responsibilities here."

"I already talked to Leo. He wants you to go, Josh."

He put his hands on the arms of the visitor's chair and leaned forward. "I keep laboring under the misapprehension that I'm the boss here." 

In turn, I took my resting hands off the back of the chair and put them behind my back.

"Leo said that missing a week of work is fine?" Josh asked skeptically.

"You'd only miss Wednesday through Friday."

"And the entire weekend!" Josh threw his hands in the air.

"We shouldn't work on weekends anyway," I shrugged.

Josh bit his lower lip again and looked to the side. I moved from behind the visitor's chair and stood directly in front of him.

"I'll see what I can get done in the next three days, but I'm not making any promises."

I smiled widely, which made Josh smile wickedly. I knew that smile all too well. Usually when Josh smiled like that, it was because he knew he had something on me. Like when I ordered Christmas gifts for his friends and family using his credit card. When he reviewed his Visa statement, he noticed a charge to Pottery Barn that he hadn't authorized. I figured I deserved a small gift after doing Josh's personal Christmas shopping.

As I turned to leave, Josh called out, "You know what this means, Donna?"

I didn't turn to face him. "That you're a kind and loving son?"

"Well, there's that." Without looking at him, I was certain he had his smug look firmly in place. "It means we're going to have to work overtime the next three days."

I whipped around. "You don't consider our current twelve-hour workday overtime?"

"That's just a typical day," he said, moving behind his desk once again. "Where are the notes from this morning?"

I pulled a yellow legal pad from beneath a stack of folders, handing it to Josh. "Anything else?"

He didn't raise his head while I waited for his answer, but I was certain that after he responded "no," he smiled at me.

***  
Josh has never been easy going, and he hates surprises.

He'd agreed to meet an old college friend for dinner the night before his trip to Miami. It had been on the books for weeks, but he'd forgotten until I reminded him at 7 p.m.

While Josh scurried around his office complaining about having to leave town the next morning, I patiently packed his backpack with the necessary files. I ticked off a list of things that I'd farmed out.

He handed me a thick, purple folder. "If Grady calls for me, tell him I'm working on the list while I'm away."

When he turned his back, I placed the folder back on his desk.

"Make sure I have the notes from my meeting with Priscilla Hodges. She's gonna need an estimate in a week."

I hadn't even typed those notes yet. A week in politics was like a year in the real world.

"Josh, you need to review the speech Toby gave you this morning." I placed the speech in his backpack and removed a folder titled "Recommendations 2003." He was four months too late to recommend anything in 2003.

"Where the hell is the first draft of the quarterly projections?" Josh yelled with his hands on his head.

I lifted the projections out of his backpack. "Right here."

He spun back around. "Right."

At 6:45, Josh threw on his jacket and picked up his backpack. His tie was crooked, and his hair was out of control.

"Where's my ticket?"

"It's in the front pouch," I replied while straightening his tie. "Your flight leaves at 8 a.m."

"Will you call me at 6?" He studied my hands making fast work on the knot of his tie.

Josh liked to watch me tie his neckties. Once, he asked me how I did this thing with my index finger and thumb to make the loops. I tried showing him, but he could never master it. Or he just didn't want to.

"I'm not your wake-up call, Josh. Besides, I plan on sleeping until at least 7 tomorrow."

"Just because I'm not here doesn't mean you get to slack off, Donna," he said, grinning.

I patted his tie, signaling that I was finished. Josh looked at me, then ran his hands over the knot where my fingers had just been. He threw his backpack over his shoulder and began walking out. He stopped abruptly in the doorway with his hand on the jamb.

"I'll see you Monday."

"Monday," I repeated. "Tell your mom 'happy birthday' for me."

For the first time since I'd booked Josh's plane ticket, reality sunk in: I wasn't going to see Josh for five days. 

Five glorious days without Josh's nagging. I'd leave work before 9 p.m. I'd stop at Bath and Body Works to buy lavender bubble bath and some new body butter. I'd read the six Real Simple magazines that were stacked on my kitchen counter. I'd pay bills. I'd do all the things that I didn't have the time or energy to do for the last 92 days. 

So why did it feel like none of that mattered? I had a few drops of bubble bath left from a ten-minute shopping spree in Tulsa. I could read the magazines on my next plane ride. I could pay bills during lunch or on a Sunday night. I could do all of that any time.

***  
The morning Josh left was busier than I thought. When I finally looked at my watch, it was already 1:30 p.m. Josh was probably having lunch with his mom and complaining about the heat while his mom was commenting about how good he looked. 

And he did look good. He'd been going to the gym three times a week and eating red meat only once a week. I doubt he'd even noticed the change in his diet. We'd been so busy over the last three months that we hardly ever had time to eat, but I still managed to introduce more vegetables into his life. We had to start with fried zucchini, but a start is a start.

CJ snapped me out of my musings with a request to try the new apple walnut salad at the Mess. I'm an easy woman to please.

By 6 p.m., I'd checked my messages on my cell phone twelve times, thinking that Josh surely would've called to check on the six projects I'd farmed out for him. But he hadn't called at all. It was unlike Josh not to call, especially in the middle of a work week.

Over the years, when Josh's mother called, we'd always strike up a conversation. She recently mentioned a woman named Lucy who had a beautiful granddaughter who was a runner up in the Miss Florida competition. What if Josh was meeting the almost-Miss Florida and not worried one bit about budget appropriations? Or worse, what if the reason Josh's mom was so adamant about him going to Miami was because she got him a spot on the panel for the Miss Florida competition? None of this pleased me.

During my very satisfying dinner at home, I had a glass of red wine. I began thinking about Josh. I wondered if he was thankful that I'd booked his plane ticket to Miami. I brought my second glass of wine into the bathroom, and I poured the remainder of my lavender bubble bath into the tub. As I sank into a tub of bubbles, I wondered if Josh made a promise to himself to never go that long without seeing his mother. With every inch of my body that entered the water, I wondered more about what Josh was doing at that moment. When I was fully submerged, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the cold porcelain behind me. I wondered if Josh would call me at all while he was gone.

I'd brought my cordless and cell phones in the bathroom in case someone tried calling me. No one interrupted me all evening, yet I just couldn't relax.

I climbed into bed and stared at my phone for two minutes. It didn't ring, so I turned out the lights and tucked the covers under my arms. Three minutes later, I turned my lights back on and checked my voicemail at work. Why? Because there could have been a national problem of which I needed to play a critical role in solving. 

While 92 days had gone by without not seeing Josh, I couldn't remember the last time a day had gone by without speaking to him. With a pit in my stomach, I turned off my lamp and let my head hit the pillow.

***  
I must've fallen into a deep sleep because when the phone rang at 11:43 p.m., I thought it was my morning alarm. Instinctively, I reached for the snooze button, but the ringing didn't stop. I reached for the only other ringing item it could be.

"Hello?"

"The problem with the Rutgers study is that it polled the wrong demographic."

"Josh?"

"Yeah."

"You called me at midnight to complain about demographics?"

"No, I called to explain why the Rutgers study is skewed."

"I don't believe this," I said, throwing my head back against the pillow.

I could tell he was smirking. "Hi."

I couldn't stop the smirk forming on my own face. "Hi." For some strange reason, my toes were tingling.

"Miami is ten degrees away from hell." He was clearly rummaging through his suitcase with the phone lying between his ear and shoulder.

"I told you to pack wisely."

"Yeah, that was likely," he said.

"How's your mom?" I began twirling the phone cord between my fingers in the dark.

"Why didn't you tell me that she invited you to celebrate her birthday?"

"It was a courtesy invitation, Josh."

I could tell he stopped moving around because there was complete silence on the line before he spoke. "My mom wouldn't have invited you as a courtesy."

"Josh."

"Seriously, Donna," he interrupted. "When I stepped off the plane, it was 'Josh, it's so good to see you, where's Donna?'"

That made me smile.

"So where are you, Donnatella?"

"I'm in bed. It's almost midnight."

I could hear Josh swallow.

"Can you get here by 2 tomorrow?"

I sat up. "Josh, have you been drinking?"

"No! My mom and I had V8 juice with dinner. I wish I would've packed vodka. A bloody mary sounds good right now."

I heard him zip his suitcase and drop it on the floor.

"No vodka, Josh." I figured a little misdirection wouldn't hurt.

"Then I wish I would've packed you instead."

I threw my hand over my chest. It was rare for him to say something so sweet. Josh was twelve hundred miles away, but he could tell I was blushing. "It would mean a lot to my mom if you came."

"Your mom is amazingly thoughtful and sweet, but I can't come to Miami. I have a country to run."

"You've taken over my job in 24 hours?" I heard the mattress springs fall as Josh climbed into bed. He let out a breath of air as his head hit the pillow, and he switched the phone to his other ear.

"I took over your job six years ago, Joshua." I turned my lamp off and lay on my side.

There was comfortable silence for a moment. Josh was settling into bed, moving around until he found a good position. My eyelids were getting heavy.

"I booked a ticket for you."

That woke me up. "What?"

"Don't yell." He must have pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard me yelling because I heard it crash to the floor. "I booked a ticket for you. My mom wants you to be here for her birthday. It's my gift to her."

I sighed. The hand that was previously resting on my head slapped against my thigh. "You didn't buy her a gift, did you?"

"Not exactly."

"Josh," I whined again.

"I understand if you don't want to come. The E ticket is already booked on American. You just have to show up at 7."

"Josh, I'd love to be with your mom for her birthday, but I have a million things to do before the weekend. Besides, there's no way Leo will go for this."

"I beg to differ."

"You talked to Leo?"

"I'm your boss, Donna, and I say that you can miss two days of work to be with me in Miami."

To be with him in Miami? What happened to going for the sole purpose of his mom's birthday?

"So you didn't talk to Leo."

I heard the mattress springs again as Josh rolled to his side. "I did."

I put the phone as close to my mouth as possible and asked in a low voice," That was just you being all boss-like right there?"

"I am your boss, Donna."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll sleep on it."

"Fair enough."

"Good night, Josh."

"Night." I was about to hang up. "Donna?"

"Hmm?"

"I can't remember the last time I went five days without seeing you."

Again, the blushing. "Me neither."

"Come to Miami."

"Good night, Joshua."

With that, I hung up with a full smile and a very full heart.


	2. Part II

There really wasn't any doubt that I was going to Miami. All he had to do was ask, and I was sold. I wonder if Josh knew that.

I didn't call him to say that I was coming. I figured that Josh would just be at the airport waiting for me.

And he was. When I saw Josh at baggage claim, it was like I hadn't seen him in years. That fluttering feeling in my stomach surged up to my throat. His mom was holding his arm for balance as she appeared to be cleaning gum from the bottom of her sandal. Josh kept glancing at her, then at the flight arrival board, then at the escalator. As I walked toward them, my smile grew wider.

Josh spotted me through the crowd. He steadied his mom and whispered something to her. She looked up and smiled.

"Welcome to the heat." He took a few steps to greet me with a brief hug.

"How'd you know I'd get on the plane?"

"I'm psychic."

"Psychotic, maybe."

I bridged the gap between myself and Josh's mom and wrapped my arms around her. "Happy birthday, Miriam."

"Donna, dear, it's so good to see you."

Miriam and I spent some quality time together during Josh's recovery. We bonded in a way that I'd never bonded with my own mother. She was caring and thoughtful and loving. She wanted the best for everyone around her, especially her son. Josh knew that he was fortunate to have such an amazing mother, but he often had trouble showing it.

"Looks like quite a mess there," I said, pointing to her shoe and the Kleenex on the floor. Miriam was a good five inches shorter than Josh. Her hair, which she'd told me on the phone she'd just gotten styled, was in a dark gray bob just below her ears. She could've been in an Oil of Olay commercial with her soft skin. Miriam didn't need makeup, but she wore a similar shade of lip gloss to my own.

"I'm writing a law that will fine people for throwing gum on the ground," Josh stated as he picked up my small bag and led me by the elbow out of the airport.

I insisted that Miriam take the passenger seat while I made myself comfortable in the back. I had to make a few phone calls to ensure that things were running smoothly at work. 

While I was on the phone with Carol, Josh and his mom were having a conversation about a bookstore. He was having a difficult time concentrating on both conversations at once. 

"If Matthews doesn't want to play ball, tell him he can sit this inning out. The nerve of that man! And tell Carol if he…"

"Josh," I said, putting my hand over the mouthpiece, "When's the last time you dealt with Jerry Matthews? I'll handle it." I went back to my conversation with Carol. "Sorry about that, where was I?"

Josh had the rearview mirror tilted so that every time he looked in it, he could see me. I glared at him.

Despite getting an earful from his mom, he glanced at me with a full dimpled smile while I explained to Carol exactly how to handle Senator Mitchell.

"Tell her to ask CJ about the boating incident." He was grinning ear to ear. "That'll get him."

When I hung up, I heard "You've never been to a bookstore with Donna. I'm telling you, it's an all-day thing."

"What's wrong with spending the day at a bookstore?" Miriam asked.

"I'm with you," I chimed in from the back seat. "Besides, Josh, it's air conditioned. Would you rather go to the beach or play golf in the heat?"

"You've been working on the funny."

"I bring the funny."

Miriam turned her head to face me. "Wait until you see this bookstore, Donna. You'll love it." 

I grinned at Josh through the mirror. He mumbled something I didn't quite catch. 

***  
While we strolled through the stacks at Books and Books, Miriam told me about her planned birthday party the next night. She'd told all her friends about Josh and me, and they were excited to meet us.

An hour later, Josh found me sitting on the floor in a far corner surrounded by books. 

He tilted his head to the side reading the book title. "In Cuba I Was a German Shepard?"

"Yes. It's 11 humorous short stories about a Cuban man living in Miami. Even in America, ethnic ties are strong and assimilation is something that isn't necessarily easy or even desired," I read from the book jacket.

He picked up a few books and read their obscure titles aloud. "Donna, how can you be interested in half this stuff?"

"Why don't you go to the sports section, Josh? I'm sure they have several books on spring training."

He put down the books and knelt beside me. Suddenly, as if he was aware that he was in a library of sorts, he asked in a whisper, "How was your flight?"

I looked up at him, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I sat next to a couple going on a cruise out of Miami for their honeymoon."

"I never understood why people go on cruises for their honeymoon," he crossed one leg over the other, bringing his body into mine just a bit. "Aren't the rooms really small?"

"Why would that matter?"

"It's your honeymoon," he grinned. "Don't you want a huge room with a jacuzzi tub and a four-post bed?"

I studied his face and smiled. "Seems like you've thought about this quite a bit."

Josh shrugged. "I just wouldn't go on a cruise for my honeymoon is all."

"Maui?" I suggested.

"Maui would be nice."

Miriam walked up with her hands full of books. "Ah, Donna, there you are. I thought you'd love this one." She handed me a book about women's rights in the 1940s. We discussed suffrage while Josh paid for the books. Miriam knew more than me about this topic, so I soaked up everything she said like a mop. 

Despite Josh's father being an attorney, his mom was the one genuinely interested in politics. She'd told me stories of protests that she took part in before she was married. When Josh came along, she demonstrated less, but read more. She had a tall bookshelf in her house dedicated to books on women's rights. In fact, she mailed a book of photographs of women in the 1950s to me just last month.

By the time we left Books and Books, it was nearly 5 p.m. We drove around and Miriam showed us some significant landmarks of Coral Gables and Miami. When we finally arrived at Miriam's townhouse, I was beat.

Her home was in a gated retirement community, but Miriam never referred to her neighborhood using the word "retirement." There was a small pond in the middle, and every townhouse had a front yard. All of the houses had their own flavor. Some were painted blue, others were peach. Miriam's was white stucco. Her garden in the front was full of rose bushes and crocuses.

The inside of her townhouse immediately felt like home. Josh seemed very comfortable inside, so I wondered if much of the furniture was from their home in Connecticut. There were pictures of Josh and Joannie that I'd have to study later. In almost every corner, there was a bookshelf lined with books. I could've spent weeks just going through all of them. The air smelled like a combination of Estee Lauder perfume and pot roast.

"Josh, why don't you take Donna's bag upstairs?" 

Without question, Josh proceeded up the stairs with my bag. "I'm gonna take a shower before dinner," he announced.

I put my purse on the table next to the sofa. "This is a lovely home, Miriam."

"Thank you. It's the perfect size. I don't really need two bedrooms, but it's nice to have more than a sofa to offer overnight guests."

She poured two glasses of iced tea, and we sat on the swing on the back porch which overlooked another small pond. It was just getting dark, so every once in a while, we heard a nightingale chirp.

"I'm so glad you came, Donna."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"I couldn't count how many times Josh brought up your name yesterday."

I ducked my head. "I'm sure it was all work related."

"Actually, none of it was about work," she sipped her tea. "You keep him grounded, my dear. He'd be lost without you."

I smiled a weak smile. "He'd be fine without me."

She put her hand on my knee. "I hope we never have to find out."

Josh stepped outside and the air immediately smelled like soap and aftershave. I was too busy staring at Josh in white linen pants, a short-sleeved black button-up shirt and bare feet to join the conversation.

"You're going to catch a cold, Joshua, coming out here with a wet head!" his mother yelled.

"I'm 43 years old, mom!"

"What's age got to do with anything?" she responded.

"Donna?" I think Josh called my name twice before I replied.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to shower before we leave?"

"Are you telling me I need a shower?" I smelled my sleeve.

"I know how you hate airplane funk." Josh teased me with his dimples.

He knew how much I hated the feeling of other people's breath and general funk all over my body after flying. When Josh and I travel together, the first thing I do is shower when I have a spare moment.

Miriam stood and took my empty glass. "Show her where everything is, Joshua." She went inside, shutting the screen door behind her.

Josh sat on the swing next to me. 

"You smell nice," I said as I caught big whiff of Ivory soap and the Gucci aftershave I bought him (with his credit card) a few weeks ago.

"Thanks," he grinned. "It really is beautiful here." He put his arm on the back of the swing behind me.

"If you can stand the heat and the bugs, which I don't think you can."

"It's not so bad once the sun goes down."

"No, it's not."

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes, listening to the crickets and locusts chirp. Josh looked at me, clearly about to speak, but every time he opened his mouth, he'd shut it. His eyebrows creased a couple of times as if he was trying to put his thoughts into words. I'd never found Josh lacking words, so I helped him out.

"Is it nice being home?"

I caught him off guard. "It's funny you called it 'home,'" he gave a half-smile. Josh had never lived a single day of his life in Florida, so Connecticut would always be home for him. "Yesterday, I didn't feel like this was home."

"And today?" I asked in a quiet voice.

He thought about the question for a moment. "Yeah. It's nice being home."

The arm that was draped on the back of the swing came to rest for a split second on my shoulders. Josh squeezed my upper arm and smiled very softly.

"We should go inside." He stood and held out his hand to help me up.

"Where'd you put my bag?" I asked, taking his hand for brief assistance.

"Next to mine in the bedroom." Josh opened the door for me.

There were only two bedrooms, according to Miriam. I tried to banish the thought of the bags not being the only two things next to each other that night.

After taking a hot shower, I met Josh and his mother in the living room. Miriam promised Josh authentic Cuban food.

**  
The restaurant was packed. The host, Eduardo, knew Miriam and kissed her on the cheek. When Miriam introduced Josh, Eduardo shook his hand and patted his back. Then she introduced me, and I was immediately enveloped in a hug. Eduardo called out something in Spanish, and two women came to the front of the restaurant, wiping their hands on their aprons. We received the same greeting from them.

Twice during dinner, we were interrupted by Miriam's friends. 

Her hair stylist, Lynn, commented on Josh's broad shoulders. Before I could take offense, Lynn went on for a good five minutes about my "gorgeous" blonde hair and spotless complexion. She kept touching my hair and parting it different ways while Miriam laughed and Josh smiled. She whispered something to Miriam on her way out, then winked.

The second interruption came from a couple who Miriam met at temple. I'd never heard Josh speak Hebrew. Even though it was just a couple of sentences as a greeting, he did it with a convincing accent. Miriam carried on half the conversation in Hebrew, which I found fascinating. I think Josh understood most of what they were saying, and he blushed. When the couple left, they hugged all three of us.

I could sense Josh's comfort when he saw how well-respected and liked his mother was in this city.

I'd never seen Josh so attentive before – to both his mom and me. When my glass was nearly empty, he called the waiter. When Miriam needed more Equal for her iced tea, he borrowed some from the empty table on our left. 

I also hadn't expected Josh to be this relaxed while he was away from work. I was both relieved and pleased.

***  
When we arrived back home, Miriam announced that she was exhausted. "We have a lot to do tomorrow, kids, so get some sleep." She kissed both of us on the cheek, then went to her bedroom.

Josh and I were left standing alone in the kitchen.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about where we would sleep. There was no mention of a sofa bed, but that wasn't to say that one of us wouldn't spend the night on the couch.

"Want a beer?"

"I couldn't possibly put another thing in my body right now," I said, grabbing my stomach.

"Are you ready to go to sleep?" Josh pouted.

"I'm tired, but I don't think I could fall asleep yet."

We shared a somewhat awkward moment, until Josh went in the living room. I followed him and plopped on the sofa, letting my head fall back. Josh emerged from the hall closet with Pictionary in his hands.

"Are you kidding?"

Josh looked offended. "This is an outstanding game, Donna."

He sat on the floor opposite from my position on the sofa. I helped him unpack the game. He told me we didn't have to keep score, but it would be fun to see how many drawings we could guess in a minute. Right, like Josh wouldn't be competitive in any situation.

"I never would've thought you liked Pictionary, Josh."

"I never would've thought you didn't."

"I can't draw," I admitted.

"What are you talking about? You doodle during meetings all the time."

"That's doodling, not drawing."

He dismissed me, then turned the timer over and began to draw.

At one point, we were laughing so loudly that Miriam had to tell us to keep it down. By 1 a.m., we were both on the floor, stretched out on opposite sides of one another with pillows propping our heads up. My eyes began to shut, but Josh kept talking and drawing.

"You're like a kid with this game." I yawned.

"You're just jealous."

"If you think that looks like a cow, you're delusional." I pointed to the badly drawn pig-like thing on the paper in front of him. 

Josh grabbed my hand. "You guessed that it was a cow, so it was good enough!"

"I think I read your mind. That's how I knew it was a cow."

"Are you reading my mind right now?" he whispered.

Surely I was getting my signals crossed. "No."

He released my hand. "I'm thinking it's late and it's time for bed."

I felt a twinge of sadness at his remark. We both stood and walked upstairs to the spare room. I would've given anything to learn what he was thinking.

***  
Josh reached in the dresser drawer for his pajamas and went into the bathroom to change. I took that opportunity to change into my pink pajamas. I knew it would be warm, so I brought a new short set from Victoria's Secret. It was definitely not sexy. Or at least, I didn't think it was. 

As he was coming down the hallway, Josh was talking about the art class he took as an undergrad. "It's the only class that I had to struggle to get an A. Con law? Fine. Microeconomics? Piece of cake. Professor Wharton's advanced drawing class? Horrible. In fact, I had to do this project…"

When he saw me bending over to put my shirt back in my suitcase, he froze.

"Josh?" I took a step closer to him. He wasn't wearing the oversized, blue pajamas that CJ had given him during his recovery. These pajamas fit very well and were red with navy blue piping and an untied, blue drawstring.

"Yeah?" I could smell the toothpaste on his breath when he exhaled.

I lost my train of thought. "You were saying something about drawing."

He just stared at me. I wasn't much better, but I was the first to recover.

"I'm just going to brush my teeth." I moved past him with my small Clinique Bonus Day satchel.

When I came back in the room, Josh had a pillow and blanket under his arm. "I'll take the couch."

I stepped further into the room and shut the door. "Don't be ridiculous, Josh, I'll sleep on the couch." I went to grab the pillow and blanket, but he pulled back.

"It's no big deal, Donna. I sleep on Toby's couch in the office once a week."

"So enjoy a bed when you get the chance."

"I insist," he said, pulling the covers back.

I cuddled in bed, dragging the sheets up to my shoulders. Josh sat next to me with the pillow and blanket in his lap. 

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"Extremely."

"Thank you for coming, Donna."

"It's my gift to you," I whispered.

He reached for the bedside lamp and turned it off. The room was bathed in blackness. I felt Josh's hand on the side of my face, and I covered it with my own. I wanted so desperately to see the look in his eyes. He bent down and kissed my temple. I was glad that Josh couldn't see the pinkness in my cheeks.

"Sweet dreams, Donnatella."

"Night, Joshua."

He didn't move for a few seconds. Finally, when he walked out, I felt cold. I shoved the blanket higher on my arms and fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	3. Part III

The next day, I woke up to the sound of a creaking door. I barely opened my eyes to see Josh tip toeing to his suitcase at the foot of the bed. I was still in a state between sleeping and waking, so it took me a second to realize that it was, in fact, reality. I opened my eyes a little wider.

"I was hoping you were the tooth fairy." My voice was husky with my first spoken words. I cleared my throat.

"You think I'd leave money under your pillow?"

It was then that I got a good look at Josh. His pajamas were completely wrinkled, and his blue drawstring was loosely tied. His hair stuck out in every direction as he scratched his head.

"I don't have a witty comeback this early in the morning," I said, stretching my arms above my head. I must've rustled around in my sleep because the top button on my pajama shirt was undone. I didn't realize this until I noticed Josh staring as though he'd never seen cleavage before. He gulped and shifted his focus to the clock on my left.

"What time is it?"

He shifted his eyes back to my face, then down again. "Almost 8."

"This is the latest I've slept in months. How'd you sleep?" I sat up and buttoned my nightshirt.

He returned to rummaging around in his suitcase. "The sofa's too narrow. I couldn't get comfortable all night."

I pulled my hair behind my head and tied it in a bun at the base of my neck. "You can have the bed tonight."

Josh was trying to balance socks, shorts and his running shoes in one arm. He casually replied, "I don't see why we both can't sleep in here." He avoided my eyes. "I'm gonna change and go for a run."

Both sleep in here? Josh and me in the same bed? I'd thought about sleeping with Josh before. Not sleeping with him as in having sex with him. Well, there's that, but I'm referring to actually closing our eyes and sleeping. I imagine he'd be a cuddler. He'd put his arms around my waist and settle his cheek against the top of my head.

I had to snap out of those thoughts before my face got too red.

"You're going to run in this heat? Don't get me wrong, I applaud your commitment, but still."

"I'm trying to beat the heat by going early." He sat in the chair next to the bed while slipping on his socks. "Mom's making French toast."

"Mmm, sounds delicious," I replied with a sleepy smile.

"Be back in half an hour." Josh stood and squeezed my foot which was buried beneath the sheets. 

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I donned a robe and went downstairs to find the source of the sweet aroma breezing through the house. "Something smells good."

"Good morning, Donna! French toast and coffee?" Miriam was already dressed for the day. She didn't dress like she was 68 years old. In fact, if anyone guessed her age, I think they'd assume she was 50. She was in good shape from walking every morning and keeping an active lifestyle. Her health had become a major priority right after Josh's father died. She ate healthy, visited the doctor regularly, and had an amazingly positive outlook on life. She'd tried passing on these traits to Josh, but he's a stubborn man.

I sat at the breakfast table with Miriam, and we chatted about all of these things. I think it surprised her to learn that Josh had been diligently exercising and eating better.

"I've tried for years to instill some common sense into that boy," she said, shaking her head. "How'd you get him to change his ways?"

"Six years of nagging." 

We laughed.

Most of Miriam's time was dedicated to helping abused women at a shelter. She was proud of her work, and had won an award from the county last year. When we talked on the phone, I always got an update about her work. She was such a strong, dedicated woman, and Josh had certainly followed in his mother's footsteps.

In the middle of our conversation, a shirtless, panting Josh walked through the door after his run. He was using his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.

"How the hell do you live in this?" Josh asked.

Miriam sipped her coffee. "By not running."

Josh stumbled into the kitchen, put his sweaty hands on my shoulders and leaned over to get a good whiff of French toast. "Mmmm," he said. 

My thoughts exactly.

"Josh, you're dripping sweat into my coffee."

He knelt beside me, one hand still on my shoulder, the other balancing on the table. "One bite, Donnatella."

Trying to concentrate on his mouth instead of his biceps, I lifted a piece of French toast on my fork, and he bit it off.

A drop of syrup dripped down the corner of his mouth, and he stuck the tip of his tongue out to stop it. My breathing increased. "Good?"

"Very good." He licked his lips.

After this little display, I looked at Miriam, who was sitting with her coffee cup in front of her mouth, hiding her grin.

Josh went to shower; I helped clean up and discussed the day's plans with Miriam.

***  
There was no question that I needed a pedicure, but it was winter in D.C. No open toed shoes meant no toenail polish. Josh had other thoughts. He sent his mom and me to a day spa while he helped set up her birthday party at the clubhouse in Miriam's complex.

While we were soaking our feet in the foot massager, Miriam asked me a few pointed questions about Josh and work.

"Has Leo been hard on Josh lately?"

I knew Josh told his mom a lot, but I wasn't sure how much she knew of Josh's recent past. "No harder than usual."

She regarded me. "Is Angela Blake still around?"

"She's around, but I don't see her as much as I did a few months ago." I thought I should alleviate some of her concerns. "Just the other day, Josh had a meeting with the Senate minority leader, and would you believe the guy actually wrote him a thank you note?"

Miriam looked surprised.

"Well, it wasn't so much a thank you note as it was a 'welcome back' one, but still."

I think this satisfied her enough to know that her son was doing fine at work.

***  
When we returned and Miriam was safely inside and occupied with returning phone calls, Josh took me in the living room to give me birthday instructions.

"Let me see your feet."

Or check on the status of my pedicure.

"My perfect, well-manicured feet?" I teased as I took off my shoes. I had bought a pair of sandals while Miriam and I were out, so this was a fine time to switch into them anyway.

I sat on the sofa and showed off my bright pink toenail polish. Josh took one foot in his hands. 

"It's called 'Carnival Cotton Candy.'"

"Do they pay people to come up with those names?" One of his hands trailed along the inside of my foot. "Is this a flower on your big toe?" 

"You pay an extra $3 and get a blue flower complete with yellow pollen. Nice?" I asked.

"Sexy." Josh's face turned nearly as pink as my polish, but he kept rubbing my foot. For the second time that day, he made it hard for me to breathe.

After a moment passed, Josh told me about the decorating committee. Any party held on the neighborhood grounds had to be approved by the Board. Once that happened, the decorating committee had to make the appropriate arrangements for setting up the clubhouse. It was like a well-oiled machine of senior citizens.

"Stay away from Sophia," Josh instructed. "She kept pinching my cheeks."

"You have pinchable cheeks, Joshua." I reached out to pinch them, but he swatted my hands away.

"So do you, but you don't see me going around pinching them."

"Fair point."

When Miriam walked into the living room, her grin was unmistakable, but she also seemed a little embarrassed. Her son was holding my foot in his hand. I was reclining on the sofa, my head tilted back to look at Josh.

She cleared her throat to get our attention. "I have to run to the shelter for a while."

Josh released my foot, and my head snapped up. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. I'll be gone about an hour."

"Would you like us to come with you?" I asked.

"No, no, dear. You two stay here. If you need a car, take Ann's. She's my neighbor on the right. Her keys are on the kitchen counter."

We both looked confused. 

Miriam replied, "She's in Switzerland."

Josh and I ran some errands, including picking up Miriam's birthday cake. Not once did we discuss work. It was as if we were in a different world. We made fun of old people and the way their kisses stung. We talked about the Cuban influence in Miami. Josh talked about sports at the University of Miami, and I reminded him of the drug problems the football team faced a few years ago. We laughed about the fashion dichotomy – old women in muumuus, young women in bikini tops and short shorts.

Every once in a while, I caught Josh looking at me. Not really staring, but just looking as if he found something interesting in my expression. He probably felt the same about the way I looked at him. Perhaps it was being away from our everyday environment, but we were discovering things about each other that we hadn't previously known. I learned that Josh loved the way that sand felt between his toes. He learned that I enjoy sunrises more than sunsets.

We drank smoothies and walked around South Beach, people watching. Josh commented that the gay couples seemed happier than the heterosexual ones. I shrugged. "I'm happy." 

He smiled.

By the time we arrived back at Miriam's house, she was taking a bath and getting ready for her party. I took a quick shower and threw on a light blue linen dress that I'd bought in South Beach. Josh was already dressed in khaki pants and a lime-colored shirt.

***  
The clubhouse was just a few hundred feet from Miriam's house. We heard music as we approached the party. Although it wasn't a surprise party, when we walked in, the 20 guests yelled, "Surprise!" 

Miriam faked surprise with her hands on her face and an open-mouthed expression. I wondered if they did this for everyone's birthday.

An hour into the party, I'd met 16 of Miriam's good friends, and I hadn't talked to Josh since we arrived. Every so often, we'd catch each other's eye across the room. At one point, Josh rolled his eyes at me while a woman in a wheelchair pointed at him during their conversation. Miriam was floating around, ensuring that everyone had rum punch and finger sandwiches.

"I've been trying to meet you all night, young lady, but you seem like the most popular girl here," a tall, elderly woman said to me. "I'm the president of the condo association, Lucy Bennett. Miriam told me all about you."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Donna Moss." I shook her hand. "This is a lovely party."

Ignoring my comment, she said, "I just spent the last ten minutes talking to Miriam's boy. What a nice young man. And he's particularly fond of you."

Although "nice" is not a word I'd typically use to describe Josh, I agreed.

"How long have you two been together?" she asked while holding my arm.

"I'm sorry, we're not…"

"Josephine!" she interrupted. "Josephine, come meet Miriam's son's girlfriend!" She looked at me. "Oh, that's a mouthful!" Lucy wiped her mouth with a scrunched-up, yellow napkin.

I tried again. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bennett, but we're not…"

"She's as tall as you, Lucy!" Josephine interrupted. "How do you do? I'm Josephine Kasiske."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kasiske. I'm Donna Moss." 

This was a trap. There was no way I would escape this meeting without admitting that Josh and I were together. I'd have to lie.

Lucy looked at Josephine. "Aren't they a darling couple?" Then she looked at me. "Are you taller than Josh? I was a full two inches taller than my husband."

"Josh's taller than me," I answered. There were now four other women standing around me gossiping. I heard words like "darling" and "headstrong" in the same sentence.

"Miriam's always talking about you. She said you saved her son's life."

My heart was in my throat. I wasn't sure if she was referring to Josh's shooting or something less specific, so I only smiled.

The woman in the wheelchair asked, "So how is Lyman in bed?"

The other women cracked up laughing. One woman fanned herself with a handkerchief.

Hearing the cacophony around me, Josh finally rescued me. He walked up behind me, and handed me a glass of punch. "There you are."

"Josh, hi!" I reached for the glass.

The women all chimed in with "aren't they adorable" and "what a cute couple."

Josh whispered in my ear, "Either we're married or engaged. I couldn't quite figure it out."

I leaned into him. "Get me out of here Josh, these women are driving me crazy!"

He squeezed my side. "Can I have your attention? It's time to sing 'happy birthday' to my mother! Mom, where are you hiding?"

They all rolled or walked to the cake area and began singing. Josh's mom was singing along, clearly enjoying the celebration. She confided in me later that half the people there were not supposed to drink alcohol with their medication. I wondered if they'd read the sign next to the rum punch before taking part.

By 9 p.m., the party cleared out and only two people besides Miriam, Josh and I remained. They excused themselves with "Golden Girls is on Channel 8. We better get going."

Miriam hugged them goodbye while Josh and I ate our first piece of cake that night.

"My feet are killing me," he said around a mouthful of icing as he sat in a leather chair.

"Isn't there a jacuzzi here?" I rolled my neck from side to side.

Josh finished his cake and grabbed my plate. "I think my mom said there's one somewhere around here." He ate the last bite of my cake. I wiped some blue icing from the corner of his mouth.

Josh stared at my finger. When I wiped the icing on my napkin, he focused on my mouth. Worried that I too had icing on my face, I used my thumb and index finger to trace my lips. Josh licked his.

He stood and put an arm around his mom. They had a short, private conversation, then hugged. Miriam pointed north during their conversation, and Josh nodded.

Miriam approached me. "Donna, I can't thank you enough for coming." She grabbed my hand.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." I hugged her, then we all walked back to the house.

***

We helped carry the load of gifts to Miriam's room, then Josh and I went into the bedroom.

"That was fun," I said as I took off my shoes.

Josh took off his own shoes, then unbuttoned his shirt. "My mom enjoyed it."

"Are you saying you didn't?" I had a difficult time taking my eyes off Josh's chest.

"No, I had a good time. I'm just glad to be with someone closer to my age right now."

"I don't know Josh, I'm almost ten years younger than you. You might be closer to their age." I smirked.

He glared at me. "Are you going to prove your youth and go swimming with me?"

I giggled. "Prove my youth? What does that mean?"

He removed his shirt entirely. Sensing that I couldn't get words out, he said, "You suggested going to the jacuzzi. Are you backing out?"

"I'm not backing out." I grabbed my bikini and went into the bathroom while Josh was talking more to himself than to me about something. I heard the words "skimpy, little thing" and "heart attack."

I came out with a robe tied securely around my waist. Josh was in Hawaiian-print swimming trunks still without a shirt. His abs were very pronounced. It looked like he'd just done 100 crunches. His swimming trunks hung low on his hips, so I could see his pelvis very clearly. I referred to that part of the male anatomy as the 'David's,' after the Michelangelo statue. There was a thin line of light brown hair stretching from his belly button to where only my imagination could take me. For a split second, I wondered what it would feel like to let my fingers cascade down his belly.

***  
The jacuzzi was extremely hot, so we had to ease ourselves into the steaming, bubbling water. There was a big sign on the gate that read "Please Keep Noise to a Minimum. Jacuzzi Closes at 10 p.m."

"I guess it's light's out around here at 10 o'clock." Josh was already in the water. 

I tied my hair in a bun. Josh watched my every move. I think he was just as fascinated with my stomach as I was with his, so I took a little longer than necessary to make my hair stay in one place. After fixing my hair, I double checked the bikini ties around my neck and back, pulling them tighter. Josh was hypnotized for a moment.

He walked over to me holding his hands out. "Come on, Donna, it's nice."

I grabbed his arms for support and stepped two steps down until I was standing in front of him. The water was just above our waists.

"Hot!" I was still on my toes, trying to adjust to the heat.

"Relax."

Josh released my arms and sat with his back against the side. "Ahhh. This feels so good." He laid his head against the edge and shut his eyes.

"How are your feet?" I settled beside him. Using my arm as a pillow, I laid my head on the edge. With one leg curled beneath me, I faced Josh.

"Better," he opened his eyes and lifted his head. "How are yours?"

"Aching."

He lifted my feet onto his lap and began rubbing them.

"How's that?"

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. "Heavenly."

The bubbles were jiggling my breasts, and I sensed that Josh was smirking. When I opened my eyes to confirm my suspicion, he was staring at them. I did what any woman would do in this situation: I splashed him.

"Hey!" he shouted. He released my feet and put his hands on my shoulders, trying to dunk me.

"Josh!"

"Shh! Be mindful of the sign," he whispered very close to my face, pointing to the big sign on the gate.

While I was still trying to fight him, Josh lifted me onto his lap. By now, my hair was damp and in my face. He pushed it away and tucked it behind my ear. I adjusted myself sideways, sitting on Josh's lap with my butt between his legs. Having no idea what to do with my arms, I flung one around his shoulders and let the other one move on top of the water. Josh pinched his nose and coughed.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, just some water up my nose."

I wiped his face with my hand. 

Josh smiled conceitedly. "How ya doin?"

"Fine," I answered.

"Yeah?"

I nodded. I felt one of Josh's hands on my thigh and the other one on my back, but I wasn't sure which one to concentrate on. When I looked at his face, he had a very smug expression.

"I know that look," I stated.

"What look?"

I pointed at his face. "THAT look."

"What's this look?" he asked loudly, not stilling his hands, but shrugging his innocence.

"It's a smug look."

"Wouldn't you be smug if you had me on your lap?" His grin widened and his lips drew very close to my own.

It didn't take long before we were kissing. Josh couldn't stop smiling, so I was more kissing his teeth than his lips.

"Josh?"

"Yes?"

"If we're going to kiss, could you, you know, close your mouth around mine?"

"I can do that."

With that, Josh became serious. He put a hand on my cheek and kissed me gently for at least two minutes. It was very hot in the jacuzzi, not only from what was happening above the water, but also because the water was 109 degrees.

"We should get out of here."

Josh looked puzzled. "Why?"

"Because I'm boiling."

He helped me out of the jacuzzi. I threw a towel to him as he pulled his trunks up with one hand. They'd slipped very low on his waist when he jumped out of the jacuzzi. His hair was dripping wet. He used the towel to dry his head first, which made his curls even more out-of-control than usual. He dried his body off as best he could before throwing his arms around me from behind.

"That was fun." Josh's smile was so wide, I thought he would start laughing.

"It was." I tilted my head and looked up at him.

He let his smile turn a bit sinister. "Let's have more fun."

I turned in his arms and said in all seriousness, "We could play pin the tail on the donkey. I think it's still hanging in the clubhouse."

"Again with the funny."

"I try."

Josh captured my lips again. This kiss was more passionate than the chaste kisses in the jacuzzi. I opened my mouth and his tongue found its way in, dancing with my own. When I moaned, he released my mouth.

"We need to go inside before someone calls the cops."

I toyed with him. "Why? We're not being loud."

"Because if we don't, there's going to be some serious public nudity in about five minutes."

***  
Once we made it back to the house, Josh went to his mom's room to ensure that she was sleeping. When he returned to the bedroom, I wasn't there.

"Donna?"

He must have heard the shower running, so he stepped into the bathroom, which was already filling with steam. Miriam kept the house air conditioned, so it was cold when you were soaking wet.

"It's freezing in this house," he announced.

"That's why I'm in the hot shower," I yelled back.

"Shh! My mom's asleep."

"What are you doing in here?" I whispered.

"You weren't in the bedroom."

"It's too cold in the bedroom."

"I'm freezing out here!"

I poked my head out of the shower. Josh's arms were around his chest, and he was shivering. 

"I still have on my bikini," I stated.

"Yeah?"

I pulled the shower curtain back so he could see that I was not naked. He smiled, stepping inside. His skin was covered in goose bumps and slowly warmed under the shower spray. He still hadn't spoken.

"Josh?"

"Hmm." It was a moan more than an answer.

I stepped closer to him, which only acted as a catalyst for my heavy breathing.

He put his arms around me and pulled me to him, kissing the top of my wet head. 

After all of these years, Josh's skin was against mine. His body was warm and strong, but his gentleness didn't surprise me. 

Everything about Josh is masculine, right down to the way he walks. Many people would describe Josh as an egotistical giant with no heart. People who know him would say he's a confident, brilliant man with a huge heart. When Josh truly cares about an issue or a person, he treats it as the most important thing in the world. That's what I was to Josh at that moment: the most important person in the world. I felt it not only in the way he touched me, but also in the way he looked at me. I realized the gravity of this moment. Josh gently pushed me back so he could look at me.

"You," he choked, "are beautiful. Every single inch, Donnatella."

I swallowed hard and looked into his eyes. His gaze was intense. I put my hands on his biceps and let them run to his neck. By the time my fingertips reached his hair, Josh's lips found mine. He kissed me tentatively, then wet his lips and kissed me with more fervor than previously. I tried duplicating the circles on Josh's back that he was making on mine, but for the first time in my life, I couldn't concentrate on more than one task. 

Josh pulled back again and cupped my face with his hands. "Let me touch you."

I let him explore every inch of my body. He kissed me tenderly at times and passionately at others. His touch, combined with the hot water, electrified every pulse in my body. I'd never been this…adored…in my life.

After I was sufficiently bathed by Josh's mouth and hands, I allowed my fingers to travel over his abs the way I'd wanted to an hour before. He tried stifling a giggle.

"Does that tickle?"

"Yeah."

We both smiled, then Josh took me once again in his arms.

"We should get clean."

After Josh washed his body, doing some careful maneuvering under his swimming trunks, I made him get out of the shower, so I could properly wash mine. He left the bathroom to retrieve his pajamas. When he returned, he handed me an oversized towel and set my pajamas on the counter.

"I'll just be in there." He hooked his thumb toward the bedroom.

I stepped out of the shower with the towel firmly wrapped around my body. "Thank you."

He clenched his jaw and eyed me up and down. I was very close to pulling him back to me by the drawstring of his pajamas.

When we made it back into the bedroom, Josh pulled the covers back.

I was confused. "You want to go to sleep?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"I wasn't thinking of sleep." He grinned. "In fact, I don't want to sleep for the next ten hours."

"You think you can last ten hours, Joshua?" I questioned.

"Possibly longer," he said, tilting his head and stepping closer to me.

He sat down on the bed, holding both of my hands and looking up at me. I stepped between his legs. Releasing one hand, I placed it on his damp head and ran it down his neck. He used his free hand to caress my leg from the back of my knee to the beginning of my pajama shorts. Every time he repeated this pattern, his hand went further up my thigh. I released his other hand and placed both of mine on his shoulders. Josh's hand immediately found my other leg and showered it with the same treatment.

When he finally looked up, we smiled. I knelt between his legs so that our faces were even. I kissed his cheeks, then his neck, and finally, his mouth. After a few kisses, he pulled me up and slowly leaned back. I took this opportunity to run my hand up his night shirt, feeling his abs contract as he lowered his back to the bed. In a few seconds, I was on top of him. 

Any time a part of Josh flexed, I felt it with my fingertips. His quads, hamstrings, triceps, and biceps. His hands explored me just the same. When he began unbuttoning my pajama top, I untied his pants.

My pajamas weren't on for long. Neither were Josh's.

I fell asleep in his arms at 3 a.m. I'm not even sure if Josh fell asleep at all. He never stopped touching me. Even when he woke me up at 6 a.m., his hand was rubbing my naked belly.

"Why are you waking me up so early?" I asked, still half asleep.

"You said you liked sunrises more than sunsets," he whispered.

Josh had opened the blinds on the large bay window. We turned on our sides, Josh behind me, and watched the sunrise in each other's arms. I felt an explosion of joy in my heart, and a few tears found their way onto the white sheets. Josh kissed my tear-stained cheeks, then we feel back asleep.

***  
At 9:15, I woke up to the smell of coffee.

"Morning," he said, kissing my cheek.

"Did last night really happen?" I shifted onto my back.

"Did you want it to happen?"

I smiled and nodded. "Very badly."

I kissed him softly on the lips.

"I don't want to get up."

"But I want coffee," I said, taking in a big whiff of it.

"What if I brought you some in bed?"

I had the sudden realization that Miriam was in the kitchen and Josh was most definitely not. "Josh!"

"What?" He sat up quickly.

"Your mom!"

"What about my mom?"

"You're not supposed to sleep in here! You should be on the sofa." I threw a hand over my face, mortified.

Josh smirked. "If it's possible, I think my mom will be more excited about this than both of us."

"Seriously, Josh."

"I'm serious, Donna! My mom loves you," he paused. "And she loves me. The one thing that would make her happiest is for the two of us to be together."

I regarded him. 

He pushed my hair to the side and kissed my nose. "Trust me."

I couldn't fight the huge smile that slowly surfaced on my face. "Really?"

"Really," he whispered. "Now let's go downstairs and get some coffee."


	4. Part IV

"Morning, Mom."

Miriam was whistling in the kitchen as she flipped pancakes.

"Good morning, Joshua! Donna, how'd you sleep?"

If I wasn't mistaken, Miriam had an evil glint in her eye.

"Fine, thanks. You?" 

"I slept very well, thank you. I only woke up once during the night when I heard some noise. Must've been the pipes."

I blushed a terrible shade of red. Josh, on the other hand, smirked the way that I'm sure his father must have back in the day.

"Pancakes?"

Josh sat at the breakfast table and ate three pancakes. We discussed the birthday party and laughed at Miriam's stories.

"So I thought we'd take a cruise on Biscayne Bay tonight."

"Sounds nice," I said.

"I have some errands to run today, so you two can do some sightseeing or go to the beach."

"You sure you don't want any company?" I asked.

Josh stood. "I'm sure my mom is fine on her own."

"But…"

"No buts. Let's get dressed." Josh tugged my arm. "Mom, we'll catch up with you later."

"Ok, dear."

Josh led me upstairs. As soon as the bedroom door was shut, he had me against it.

"Josh?"

"Hmm?"

I couldn't answer. In fact, I forgot what I was going to tell him. Surely it wasn't "stop." He had his body pressed against mine and his hands all over me. Not to be outdone, I put my right hand down the front of his pajama pants. His moans egged me on.

"Against the door, Donna?" he asked with a grin.

"No."

"Why not?" he whined.

"Josh, this is your mother's home," I whispered. "She's in a room 20 feet away."

"That didn't stop you last night." He began kissing my neck.

"We can't do this in broad daylight, Joshua."

He looked up. "You have my penis in your hand and you're telling me we can't do this?"

"Fair point." I got on my knees, and I think Josh turned pale. He may have even said a prayer. I pushed him into a sitting position on the bed, then I encased him in my mouth.

Josh is no good at being quiet. In fact, he's downright loud. When he came, I had to put a hand over his mouth.

"Are you crazy?!" I whisper-yelled.

"You did this to me," he whispered accusatorily and out of breath.

"Do you know the meaning of quiet?"

"Not when you do that thing with your tongue!" he said heatedly.

It was my turn to smirk. "I am skilled."

***  
We spent the rest of the day making love while Miriam ran errands. 

When she returned at 4 p.m., Josh and I were spent. We were lying on the sofa, Josh's head in my lap. One of my arms was slung over his stomach, and we were holding hands over his bellybutton.

When Miriam entered, Josh was dozing off, so it took him a second to realize exactly where he was. It was too late. Miriam had a very clear view of our position.

"It's ok, don't get up," she said with a raised hand. "How was your day?"

Disobeying his mother, Josh got up and helped her with a few bags.

"Great. How was yours?" 

I got up to help too.

"If you would've told me you were going to the grocery store, I would've helped," Josh said. He put down the bags and helped his mom store the food items.

"Nonsense, Joshua! You're on vacation."

"Our flight leaves at 10 tomorrow." There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to the real world." I let out a sigh.

"You mean you're not anxious to get back to incompetent interns and demanding co-workers?" Josh chided.

"No, I can't wait to see Toby and CJ, but everyone else, not so much." I folded my arms.

Truth be told, I was worried where this would lead. Was it just a weekend of physical pleasure? Was Josh experiencing an out-of-body phenomena that he'd forget when we returned to D.C.? I was more nervous than anything.

Josh and Miriam put away the last of the groceries. "This has been an incredible four days, but I'm kinda ready to get back to work."

Oh no. My fears were correct. "An incredible four days, but I'm ready to get back?" I suddenly felt queasy.

I went into the living room.

"Donna?" Josh followed me, and Miriam was right behind him.

"I thought I'd give you and your mom some time alone." I tried very hard to make my smile look genuine.

Taking a hint, Miriam announced that she was going to return some phone calls upstairs. Josh didn't wait for her to leave the room before he grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing. I just thought you'd want to spend some time with your mom, is all."

"I've been spending time with her. Can't I do both?" He didn't release my hand, despite my trying to pull it away.

"Both of what?" The kissing of my hand was doing a number on my vocabulary.

"Spend time with you and my mom?" he asked, turning my palm over in his hand and kissing it. "Cause that's really what I'd like for the rest of the time we're here."

"Yeah?"

"Of course," he pulled me into his arms. "Come here, Donna." 

Josh kissed my head, and I let out a big sigh.

"You're afraid."

I didn't answer. Instead, I looked down at my lap.

"You're afraid that we won't be like this when we get back home."

I looked into Josh's eyes and tried to smile. He saw straight through it.

He stopped kissing my hand and just held it. "Donna, things will be different when we get back to D.C., but we can still be together, if that's what you want." 

"Is that what you want?" I brushed my hair behind my ear.

Josh smiled. "Yes. Yes, it's what I want. How could you even ask that?"

I still wasn't convinced, so I looked at my lap again.

"Don't you feel this?" He put my hand over his heart. He couldn't say anything else. He tried, but his emotions were too strong, so he left the question unanswered and looked at our hands on his chest.

It was my turn to pull him to me. I kissed him soundly, even when I heard Miriam come downstairs. When we saw her, we stopped.

"Don't stop on my account." She had a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"Told you," Josh remarked with a sincere smile.

He kissed me one last time before standing, offering me his hand, and pulling me to my feet. We stood hand in hand before his mother. 

It didn't take long before Miriam threw her arms around both of us. After a long embrace, she placed a hand on each of our cheeks. With tears in her eyes and a soft, controlled voice, she said, "There is nothing more in life to complete me more than this."


End file.
